2010

You may have noticed a lack of birds lately, but it's nothing to worry about. In a few more weeks we’ll have temperatures near freezing, and you're sure to have hungry birds at your feeders.

5 comments

Last-Minute Quick Draw Update

Posted by Jim Low on Oct 19, 2010

The application page is not online yet, but it will be Friday.

3 comments

Almost Last But Not Least

Posted by Tim Smith on Oct 15, 2010

Late-blooming downy gentian is worth the wait!

2 comments

Looking Forward to Quick Draw

Posted by Jim Low on Oct 13, 2010

I HATE most new stuff, but not this.

4 comments

They're As Big As Soccer Balls!

Posted by Tim Smith on Oct 5, 2010

Giant puffball fungi are prevalent this fall.

2011 Natural Events Calendar Now Available

Posted by Tim Smith on Oct 1, 2010

Natural Events Calendar for 2011 is available for purchase.

2 comments

Urban Deer Zone Confusion

Posted by Jim Low on Sep 28, 2010

Sometimes efforts to make information accessible backfire.

4 comments

Frequently Missourians send me photos of various caterpillars, and they usually ask me to identify them. One of the more interesting ones is the caterpillar of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus). It is a common species in the Ozarks but less so in other Missouri regions.

Trout a la Mink

photo of a Rainbow trout slow-cooking on the engine of a pickup truck

Posted by Jim Low on Sep 21, 2010

Bake for 60 miles at F-150.

1 comment

Abundant Dragonflies

Posted by Tim Smith on Sep 17, 2010

Dragonflies have been massing in recent weeks, some for long-distance migration.

4 comments

2010 Teal Season Opens Tomorrow

Posted by Tim Smith on Sep 10, 2010

Another opening day for wing shooters tomorrow.

2 comments

We Built It . . . and They Came Back

Posted by Tim Smith on Sep 8, 2010

Quail return to the grounds of the Conservation Department's Headquarters.

1 comment

Dove Opener Next Wednesday

Posted by Tim Smith on Aug 26, 2010

Tips for dove season opener on Sept. 1.

3 comments

Antler Development, Part III

Photo of a white-tailed deer with asymmetrical antlers.

Posted by Jim Low on Aug 24, 2010

Wherein an aspiring antler expert eats humble pie

4 comments

Unusual Summer Insects

Posted by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2010

Unusual summer insects that you may be seeing around your yard or property.

5 comments

The Hummingbird Versus the Honeybee

Posted by Tim Smith on Aug 6, 2010

Magazine readers take sides over honeybees at hummingbird feeders.

7 comments

Antler Growth, Part II

Posted by Jim Low on Jul 28, 2010

Check out how much my camera-loving buck's antlers have grown since last time.

15 comments

Bad Hair Day

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 22, 2010

An e-mailer recently described to me an odd encounter she had with wildlife. She killed a cockroach by stepping on it. Before she could dispose of the dead cockroach, a narrow worm-like organism that was several inches long crawled out of the cockroach and began weaving its body like a snake on the her floor.

9 comments

Over the Hump

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 20, 2010

I’ve already had enough of this summer’s heat and humidity, and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment. There is some encouragement, however, in the average annual temperature data. A look at a plot of the average temperature highs and lows for mid-Missouri shows that mid-July is the peak of both curves.

Cicadas and Their Killers

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 13, 2010

The middle of July through August is the time that we should be hearing annual, or dog-day, cicadas whining in the treetops around sunset.

1 comment

New Shrooms and Herps Guidebooks

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 9, 2010

Two new guidebooks are now available to help you identify and appreciate the species in these groups.

2 comments

Fall Permits Now for Sale

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2010

Today is the first day that you can purchase several permits for hunting in Missouri this coming fall and winter.

4 comments

New Lake City Shooting Range Open

Posted by lanahk on Jun 13, 2010

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s newest state-of-the-art facility is open in Buckner near Kansas City.

1 comment

Jumping Oak Galls, Batman!

Posted by Jim Low on Jun 4, 2010

Missourians from St. Louis to Table Rock Lake are reporting a strange condition on the leaves of oak trees.

1 comment

Mulberries Fruiting

Posted by Tim Smith on May 28, 2010

If backyard wildlife celebrated holidays, this week would have been the annual Mulberry Festival. In mid-Missouri, the female trees of white mulberry are bearing heavy fruit crops.

Squirrel Hunting Now Available

Posted by Tim Smith on May 24, 2010

The 2010 squirrel season opened on May 22 and remains open through next Feb. 15.

1 comment

Charismatic Reptiles

Posted by Tim Smith on May 20, 2010

To many people, snakes and lizards are not what come to mind when they think of likable wildlife.

Returning Birds

Posted by Tim Smith on May 17, 2010

A couple of beautiful bird species are returning to Missouri now after spending the winter in areas to the south of us.

How Old Is My Turkey?

Posted by Jim Low on May 14, 2010

Surely one of the things that causes most head scratching among turkey hunters is the question of how old a particular gobbler is.

Insect + Tree = Something Weird

Posted by Tim Smith on May 11, 2010

Lately I’ve been seeing insect galls on the ground that were blown down from the strong winds of spring thunderstorms.

"Orphaned" Wildlife

Posted by Tim Smith on May 4, 2010

It’s that time of the year again, when Missourians frequently call us to report that they have “rescued” or found “orphaned” wildlife or injured animals needing help.

What's in a Name?

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 27, 2010

I love questions from curious people. I always learn something answering them. Today I got one from that increasingly endangered species, a letter writer.

1 comment

Morel Season a Bust?

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 21, 2010

A week or two ago, newspaper columnist Ken White raised the question of what had happened to morels this year.

Wildlife Calendar

Posted by Tim Smith on Apr 16, 2010

According to the Department’s Natural Events Calendar, April 15 is the average day of last frost in central Missouri, where I live.

The Rare and Elusive Eared Bluebird

Posted by Tim Smith on Apr 13, 2010

I thought of saving this post until next April Fool’s Day, but that is too long to wait. Sam Perotti of New Melle, Mo., sent us this photo that was taken recently by his backyard trail camera.

A Story with a Morel

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 9, 2010

I know only two things about morels for certain.

Black Snakes Banish Rodents and Vipers

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 7, 2010

I was walking my dog Friday afternoon and stumbled across a huge black rat snake.

Coming Soon to a Landscape Near You

Posted by Tim Smith on Apr 5, 2010

You may have noticed some flowering trees already this spring: the white blooms of serviceberry, plums and ornamental pears and the pink of Japanese magnolia and peaches.

2 comments

What's Better than Turkey Hunting?

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 1, 2010

I have accomplished the impossible. I have discovered something that makes spring turkey hunting even more exciting.

Spring Turkey Booklet Available

Posted by Tim Smith on Mar 30, 2010

As we turn the calendar page to April, Missouri turkey hunters are thinking of the spring seasons that open this month. The youth season is April 10–11 and the regular spring season is April 19–May 9.

Are Your Permits Expired?

Posted by Tim Smith on Mar 26, 2010

If these warm spring days are making you think of going fishing, be sure to add “check permit” to your list of things to do in preparation.

3 comments

Martin Homecoming

Posted by Tim Smith on Mar 18, 2010

According to the Natural Events Calendar, this is the week when the year’s first purple martins usually return to Missouri after overwintering in South America.

2 comments

Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road

Posted by Tim Smith on Mar 12, 2010

It’s hard for me to prevent the lyrics of that old song from coming to mind when I pass a road-killed skunk on the highway.

Timber! (Doodles)

Posted by Jim Low on Mar 10, 2010

I spent a wonderful hour recently exercising my golden retriever, Willa, at one of my favorite autumn woodcock hunting spots.

Alien Teeth

Posted by Tim Smith on Mar 5, 2010

I recently received some interesting photos of a “jawbone with teeth” found by a Missourian who was out searching for shed deer antlers.

Take Big-Cat Stories with a Big Grain of Salt

Posted by Jim Low on Mar 3, 2010

I just got an e-mail forward with several photos and some text about the supposed sighting of three mountain lions in Missouri.

1 comment

Looking Forward

Posted by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2010

This winter is starting to wear on me.

A Salamander Went a Courtin'

Posted by Tim Smith on Feb 23, 2010

Did you know that as you sleep this month, there may be a tiger mating in a nearby pond or marsh?

MoNASP: The Wow Effect

Posted by lanahk on Feb 19, 2010

Today’s post is an on-the-spot account of the second Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) tournament from Kevin Lohraff, who coordinates the Conservation Department’s outdoor skills programs.

How to Cook Your Goose

Posted by Jim Low on Feb 16, 2010

After waterfowl seasons close each year, two of my hunting buddies and I get together with our long-suffering wives to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

4 comments

Early Signs of Spring

Posted by Tim Smith on Feb 8, 2010

As we shovel snow and brace for cold north winds this week, it’s hard to feel very encouraged that spring is just around the corner.

Rabbit Hunting with Smith & Wesson

Posted by Jim Low on Feb 4, 2010

Missouri's rabbit season fills the gap between deer season and spring turkey season for avid hunters.

1 comment

Xplor New Website for Kids

Posted by lanahk on Jan 29, 2010

Get out! That’s what kids will want to do after they’ve spent some time on the new Xplor website from the Missouri Conservation Department. It’s filled with videos, animations and photos on nature and outdoor fun.

Magical Winter

Posted by Jim Low on Jan 26, 2010

As a small child, I was awstruck when intricate frost designs festooned my bedroom windows on cold winter mornings.

Frozen Ticks and Chiggers?

Posted by Tim Smith on Jan 21, 2010

After Missouri experienced some bitter cold temperatures during the first 10 days of the new year, I received questions regarding the effects of the low temperatures on this year’s populations of ticks, chiggers, armadillos and insects.

Ozark Treasure Hunting

Posted by lanahk on Jan 13, 2010

Years ago, when I lived in West Plains, I loved to explore little Ozark streams in search of smallmouth bass, morels, wild orchids and other treasures.

1 comment

Time to Hunt for Shed Antlers

Posted by Tim Smith on Jan 11, 2010

The firearms deer season is over now and the archery season will end on the 15th, but you still may be able to bring home part of a deer for the next few months.

1 comment